Heel brace



' J. STAPP June 11, 1940.

HEEL BRACE Filed Nov. 27, 1939 Jase v]? ATTO RN EYS Patented June 11, 1940 UNITED STATES angles PATEN'i' @FFECE HEEL BRACE New York, N. Y.

Application November 27, 1939, Serial No. 306,401

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a heel brace for high heel shoes.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a heel brace adapted to permit flexibility of the heel relative to the shoe.

Another object of the invention is to provide a heel brace which may be formed from. a single blank of sheet metal and formed to the desired shape at a nominal cost.

A further object of the invention is to provide a heel brace which will prevent the heel from being forced forward or backward and breaking off from the shoe.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the shoe upper and heel of a shoe and showing a heel brace constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan of the shoe heel and brace shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of the heel and brace taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the heel brace.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the blank from which the brace is formed.

Referring now to the drawing in which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various views, A designates a blank of metal, best shown in Figure 5, the blank having a rectangular portion adapted to be rolled into 4.0 cylindrical shape to provide a tubular stem ID.

The blank is provided on one edge of the rectangular portion with a nib ll. Adjacent to the nib the blank is provided with a tapered elongated finger adapted to, form a brace arm I2. The brace arm is provided with an opening l3 to receive the nib H to hold the device in assembled form. The nib is clinched over the top of the arm, but since the opening [3 is of such size as to loosely receive the nib, there will exist a slight 50 flexibility in the device to promote relative yield ing without breakage of the shoe heel and shoe upper at the heel. The arm is inclined downwardly and forwardly from the stem H], as best shown in Figure 4.

To apply the device the stem is inserted in a vertical bore H in the top of the shoe heel and the arm 12 is extended forwardly along the metal arch support [5 of the instep of the shoe. The arm is shaped in longitudinal and cross sections to conform to the shape of the metal arch so as to be comfortable to the wearer. By virtue of 5 being built into the shoe structure so as to be tightly clamped between the metal arch and shoe sole it the arm will hold the tubular stem l9 anchored in the heel and prevent the heel moving backward or forward and eventually break- 10 ing off from the shoe.

From the above description it is thought that the construction and operation of the invention will be fully understood Without further explanation. 15

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with an arch portion of a shoe, of a heel longitudinally bored in its top, a stem. frictionally fitted into the bore, a brace arm integral with the upper end of the stem 20 progressively tapered in width, said arm having an opening, a nib extending upwardly from the upper end of the stem through the opening and promoting flexibility between the arm and the stem, the arm extending downwardly in an arcuate path from the stem and being secured between conventional layers of the bottom of the arch portion of the shoe.

2. A heel brace comprising a substantially rectangular blank of sheet metal having a nib extending from the edge of one of its sides, and a progressively tapered brace arm formed on the end of the blank having an opening, said rectangular blank being rolled to provide a tubular stem, and the nib loosely disposed in said open- 3. A heel brace secured to a high heeled shoe comprising a cylindrical stem having a nib formed on and extending upwardly from the stem, said heel being provided with a longitudi- 40 nal bore receiving the stem, an arm integral with and disposed at a right angle to the stem adapted to be incorporated into the shoe shank and conforming thereto and also having an open ing receiving the nib and permitting a slight movement of the arm relative to the stem.

4. A heel brace comprising a tubular stem, a brace arm integral with and bent to overlie one end of the stem closing the said end and curved downwardly from. the stem, said arm being curved in cross section to conform to the instep portion of a shoe sole, and means carried by the stem and connected to the arm to secure the arm to the stem and also permit'a limited motion of the arm on the means,

JOSEPH ,STAPP. 

